When Life Was Primal
by The Bonecrusher Hyena
Summary: The year is 10,000 BC. In the wilderniss of prehistoric Central Europe, a war is going on. The once peaceful Land of Oros is plagued by war, from the flesh-eating Udam from the north and fanatical Izila from the south. But there is one man who can save the Wenja and Oros. Will Takkar climb the food chain and become the Beast Master? Or will he fall prey to the enemy?
1. Prologue

_10,000 BCE_

_Carpathian Mountains, Central Europe_

It was dark inside of the cavern. Not even the wise owl or cunning wolf would have been able to pierce the darkness with their eyes. But from the blackness, a sound arose. The sound of stones being smashed against one another.

_TAK_

_TAK_

_TAK_

Tiny yet bright flames sparkled whenever the two minerals came in contact, but the efforts were rewarded. A pile of sticks that made a campfire was light up, and the old shaman chuckled to himself. The old man had dark skin, covered in horrible burns and strange white markings, the latter he had put on himself. An anklet made out of shells decorated his leg, and a wolf's pelt decorated with the antlers of a red deer that stuck out from behind the head. The wolf's pelt was part of the shaman's legend, as many believed he had managed to trick a great grey wolf into giving it to him, unaware of the true purpose the pelt served. Aside from that, the old man only wore a loincloth.

Poking a stick into his fire, the man created a torch and held it up towards the wall. Cave paintings were revealed, of men and beasts alike. The old shaman's gaze landed on a group of people, coloured with black paint and he couldn't help but smile thinly. The Wenja, his people, his blood. Peaceful hunter-gatherers that had originated from the coasts, but had spread across the continent in search of new hunting grounds. They had been nomadic…Until they had found Oros.

The shaman moved his torch to the right, revealing paintings of all sorts of beasts that looked so real they almost seemed to burst to life. Grazers and hunters alike, from the bold badger to the might mammoth. A place full of life, where the Wenja had thrived. A home for the tribe.

But other dangers had their eyes on Oros, and not just the hunters. Enemies far worse then the wolf, lion, bear or dhole had come for the Wenja.

The old man made his torch go over a specific part of the wall, where two groups of people were seen, closing in on his fellow Wenja. Marked by red paint were the Udam, brutish Eaters of Flesh that had come from the frozen tundra from the north. And, regondised by their blue paint, the Izila, fanatical Masters of Fire.

The old man's breath quickened as he remembered everything. The raids, the horrors, the fire and screams…They brought darkness to Oros! In anger, the old man threw his torch onto the ground with an angry roar, and the darkness briefly returned…Only to be driven away when the man light another torch.

"Light will come." Murmured the old shaman, looking at some paintings of his Wenja brethren. He could feel it in his bones. They were searching for him and the rest of their lost brethren. And the shaman had prayed for them to walk with a strong spirit. Bear, rhino, tiger. Whatever it would be, he had the feeling it would be the very thing he had seen in his dreams.

If he was wrong…Tensay preferred not to think of the alternative.

* * *

The sun was hot and bright, yet slowly becoming less so. Night would fall in an hour or two, and the group needed to make use of that. Everyone knew that night brought death through fang and claw. It wasn't uncommon for an unfortunate Wenja to stray to far away from camp, and fall prey to a clan of hungry hyenas, or a patient jaguar that had awaited its chance.

Dalso was determind that wouldn't happen this time, Takkar knew that. They had lost to many already…But it was worth it. Oros was close! But they were all tired and weak from the journey. The group, existing of eight people, including him and his brother, had experienced loss. But soon, they would be rewarded.

Of course, their test wasn't over yet.

The group was hunting. Having split up in two, Takkar, Dalso and a man and woman respectively known by the name Maki and Derg had taken cover in the bushes, while the other four had walked around near some cliffs, where they waited for the ambush, while Dalso and his group would drive their game to them.

Suddenly, Dalso halted. "Down!" he hissed, laying flat on the ground. Takkar and the other's quickly followed. Then, they heard it. Loud stomps of something heavy moving, and close by as well. A grunt followed, and then Takkar saw the mountain of brown fur that walked past them. Armed with massive tusks and a muscular trunk, along with its sheer size and weight, mammoths were dangerous prey. But if killed, it would provide meat for the entire party, and its tusks and bones could be used for tools.

Dalso placed a finger on his lips, gesturing with his head to the mammoth as it passed them and entered an open area, where a small herd of the massive pachyderms had gathered, feeding onto the vegetation. The hunters got up again, albeit it crouched down, and slowly made their way towards the herd.

"Maki, Derg, flank them to the left. Takkar, with me." Commanded Dalso, as the two quickly followed their leader's order. Takkar looked at their leader. Dalso was a lean man, armed with a bow, his dark locks tied in a knot and his face covered with the traditional white face paint the Wenja used, a short, russet-colored beard on his chin. This in contrast to Takkar, whose long brown hair was flowing freely down his back, his beard somewhat messy.

"Be careful, _brashta_!" warned Dalso his brother. "We haven't eaten in many days and if we wish to find Oros, we will need food…But mammoths are not easy game. We will need to be cautious. We will die otherwise."

Takkar nodded, not saying a word. The mammoths were close, after all, and they had sharp ears. While they wouldn't be able to understand his words, he was afraid they would hear him. And the last thing they wanted was a mammoth stampede.

The two hunters made their way down the rocks, silently moving through the long grass. "We need to find a smaller mammoth and separate it from the herd, so we can kill it." Whispered Dalso to Takkar.

Takkar squinted his eyes and then slowly reached out to grab Dalso's arm, pointing towards an individual animal near the ambush site, which was between two cliffs. "What about that one?" he asked.

Dalso looked the mammoth over. It was not a calf or even a juvenile, but neither as big as the mighty elders, mammoths in their final stages of life that had reached such a size they were nearly impossible to hunt without a small army. Not even the fierce sabretooth tiger or giant cave bear would dare to attack one, even when driven mad by hunger. The mammoth Takkar had pointed out was the perfect size, peacefully grasping plants from the ground and bringing them to its mouth by using its trunk, which Dalso knew from experience was both a clever tool and a powerful weapon at the same time.

"Perfect. Our brothers and sisters are waiting on the cliffs. They will use fire to scare off the rest of the herd, and then join us once they see we have chosen our prey." Dalso's brown eyes scanned the cliffs, and sure enough, he saw the rest of the hunting party. He aimed with his bow towards the mammoth that would (hopefully) be their next meal, and they understood.

Rising from their position on top of the cliffs, the Wenja rose and started shouting, aiming arrows they had put on fire using animal fat at the nearby mammoths. The giant beasts started to trumpet, quickly running away from the fiery arrows, the ground shaking beneath their mighty feet, while Dalso and Takkar rushed forward, joined by Maki and Derg.

The mammoth they had targeted let out a shriek and, just as planned, fled towards the cliff, right into the ambush! Shouting, the Wenja reigned down upon the pachyderm, armed with spears which they threw at it. Trumpeting in alarm, the mammoth stormed towards the other group that had been waiting for the ambush.

A hunter called Keran tried to stab the mammoth when it came to close, but the angry animal grabbed him with his trunk and smashed him against the rock wall to his right. Keran let out a shriek, before a sickening crack was heard. The mammoth throw the dead hunter away, shrieking in pain when a spear hit it from behind. It turned around to face another hunter by the name of Mingo, whom had been the one to throw the spear.

"Mingo, get out of there!" called Takkar, but Mingo was to late. The mammoth ran into the direction the hunting party wanted, but trampled Mingo in the process, killing the man before he even had time to scream. The deaths of Keran and Mingo were heavy blows, but there was no time for mourning.

"After it!" called Dalso, as the remaining six hunters quickly chased after the mammoth, trapping it on a clearing. The mammoth was trapped between the edge of a cliff, and the hunters. It already had several spears in it, its brown fur streaming with red blood. The end was nearing, but the mammoth was making one last desperate attempt.

"Takkar, take the shot!" shouted Dalso, as the mammoth trampled two more hunters under its might feet, storming towards the last four. Takkar gritted his teeth and threw the spear, aiming for the forehead…and it hit!

The mammoth let out a cry of pain, slowing down, until it eventually fell to the ground, moaning and whimpering. Fortunely, it stopped struggling after a few seconds. The four hunters held their breath…and then cheered when the mammoth didn't get up.

Dalso let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Dalso, patting his shoulder. "Good hunt, _brashta_!" he praised his brother.

Panting heavily, Takkar nodded in agreement. "We will eat…And we will mourn our lost brothers and sisters." He said.

Dalso nodded back. "We shall…But for now, let's take our piece of the meat before it will attract unwanted visitors." Already vultures and crows and other birds were starting to circle around them. The Wenja often used circling carrion birds as an indicator of an opportunity to get food. But they were far from the only ones. Any minute now, hyenas and wolves would also see the birds and decide to investigate.

While Dalso started cutting into the mammoth's thick hide, Takkar walked up the dead mammoth. The Wenja didn't hunt for sport, and the massive herbivore had been a worthy opponent. Its dead was not in vain. "Walk free." He spoke solemnly.

The other surviving hunters, Maki and Dreg, walked up to the dead mammoth in order to help Dalso. But suddenly, birds shrieked and flew up from the bushes, flying over their heads. Dalso frowned deeply, and Takkar raised his spear, as a growl came from the bushes…followed by a sabretooth tiger jumping on top of the dead mammoth with a loud roar.

Takkar's eyes widened. They had seen tigers before, of course. The giant cats were slowly decreasing in numbers if rumours were to be believed, but there were still enough around to compete with. But even so, this was the biggest tiger he had ever seen! The massive cat had red fur with black stripes, its long fangs and snout coated in dry blood.

The hunters all raised their spears, as the blood fanged sabretooth growled and snarled at them. "DON'T RUN! DON'T RUN!" shouted Dalso, knowing it would trigger the tiger to attack. With luck, they could escape, even if it meant surrendering their kill to the tiger.

Maki, unfortunately, felt otherwise. "Stay back, _dantan_! Stay back!" she shouted, thrusting the spear at the tiger. Laying his ears flat, the tiger growled and then pounced onto Maki. The woman screamed and tried to fight back, but was no match for the great beast as it tore her face apart with ease.

"MAKI!" called Derg, as he came from behind and stabbed the cat, who turned around and snarled, only to cry out in pain when Takkar stabbed it through its left ear, tearing a piece of it. However, that didn't stop the tiger from knocking them both to the ground.

Takkar grunted in pain, his spear to far out of reach. But he was luckier then Derg. Before he could get up, the sabretooth pinned him down to the ground. Derg screamed in fright and raised his hands, but it offered him no protection from the cat's long fangs.

_Dalso? Where is Dalso!? _Thought Takkar, not seeing his brother anywhere.

"AAAAH!" came a roar from above, as Dalso had climbed the mammoth's corpse and jumped down at the tiger, stabbing him in the side with a spear one of the fallen hunters had dropped. The tiger backed away, roaring in pain, while it started to try and remove the spear from its body.

"Takkar!" panted Dalso, armed with nothing but a small knife that wasn't meant for killing and would certainly stand no chanche against the enraged predator, even when injured. He looked behind them, at the cliff and Takkar instantly knew what his brother meant.

"Dalso, that's suicide! We won't survive that fall!"

"We won't survive up here either!"

Both brothers looked back at the tiger's direction as it managed to remove the spear and growled, slowly walking up to them. It bared its fangs and was about to strike. Not bothering to wait for that, Dalso grabbed Takkar and hurled both of them from the cliff in order to escape the lethal fangs and claws of the tiger.

Takkar screamed, both in pain and fright, as he fell from the cliff, while sticks and stones hurt his body as he fell down, the pained shouts of his brother and the frustrated roar of the tiger ringing in his ears as they fell down, until he hit the ground and blacked out, no longer hearing anything.

* * *

**Its been absolutely bloody **_**ages **_**since I've written a fanfiction, but this is something that has stuck with me for years. A novelization of Far Cry Primal, of which I know I'm not the only one. This story will be influenced by my own playthrough of the game, as well as some things I felt could have been handled differently and also things that I added from my own imagination.**

**While I'll try to stay truthful to the source material, there will be times when I choose to stray from things. These can range from minor things, such as the presence of creatures that weren't in the game but **_**did **_**live in the region of that era, such as the aurochs and cave hyena. But some of them will be major as well, like certain characters or events. One of these things is how I choose to write dialogue. I initially wanted the characters to speak like they do in-game, but after receiving some criticism and advice from fellow authors and friends, I ultimately decided against it.**

**Also, at the end of each chapter I will write down any Wenja, Udam or Izila words that were used in the story, along with their meaning. Like this. **

_**Brashta**_** – Brother**

_**Dantan **_**– Sabretooth **

**Either way, I hope you will enjoy this journey into prehistory as much as I will. Reviews, favourites and follows are always appreciated!**


	2. Path to Oros

**Special thanks to Ukrainian Snowstorm and Discortant Blade for betareading this! Couldn't have done it without you guys, your advice and tips were of great use!**

* * *

Pain.

That was the thing Takkar felt most as he slowly slipped back into consciousness; great pain, all across his body.

He didn't know how long he'd been gone. The last thing he could remember was Dalso pushing him off the cliff, just as the massive tiger was about to…

_DALSO!_

Takkar instantly sat bolt-upright, before groaning in pain as he realized he had also sat up a bit too quickly. He looked to his left, then his right, and finally, his eyes widened at what he saw.

"Dalso!" Takkar exclaimed, rushing to the man's side, ignoring his own pain. He had been fortunate; he was bruised and bleeding, but nothing was broken. But Dalso…

Dalso lay on his back, gasping for each difficult breath. He was covered in blood, and one of his ribs stuck through his chest, clearly broken.

"Takkar…" he hissed, his voice weak and quiet. He could say no more before he coughed up a spatter of blood.

"Dalso…do not try to speak. I will find green leaves, build shelter, and make a fire. We can continue the search for Oros when-"

Dalso stopped his brother, reaching out and grasping his hand. Takkar's eyes followed Dalso's to his hand. It was bloody, the fingers were broken and mangled just like the rest of Dalso, but one thing caught the hunter's attention in particular.

A white seashell bracelet.

The Wenja originated from coastal regions and, in order to remember their heritage, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets made out of the shells were passed down from generation to generation. Takkar knew what this meant, but he didn't want to believe it.

"Dalso…no...Oros is close! We-"

With the last of his strenght, Dalso squeezed Takkar's hand and gave him a gentle smile.

"This is my final sun, _brashtar… _do not stop. Find the Land Oros. Find our lost Wenja brothers and sisters…"

With that, Dalso gasped for air and slowly lay his head to the side, eyes still wide-open, but his chest stopped moving. Takkar stared at the deceased leader of his hunting party, unable to say anything. This wasn't how it was supposed to go!

Sure, Takkar hadn't expected the journey to be without trouble, or that they wouldn't lose anyone along the way, but he certainly wasn't supposed to be the only Wenja searching for Oros!

He and Dalso had grown up together, laughed and hunted together, tracked and fought together. But now...now he had lost everyone.

Takkar took a deep breath and then moved his hand across Dalso's face. "Walk free," he stated, not knowing what else there was to say.

For a few minutes, Takkar sat there, staring at his fallen comrade. Finally, he stood. He wouldn't leave his _brashtar's_ corpse for the vultures, and certainly not for that _fuwapsan _tiger! Wenja were traditionally buried, but the ground was difficult to dig here, and it would take too much time. Takkar knew Oros was close, but the frustrated roars which came from on top of the cliff confirmed his fear that the tiger was even closer.

At the thought of the giant cat, Takkar felt anger sting in his chest. Sabretooth tigers were generally rare, and were respected and honored as great hunters among the hunter-gatherers of the Wenja. But for this specific _dantan_, Takkar felt nothing but hatred.

He gathered several of the large rocks that lay scattered at the foot of the mountain they'd just fallen off, covering Dalso under them, and stacked a few more on top. A makeshift shrine. Usually, a _kawhi _would be needed to perform the ceremony, to assure that Dalso's spirit animal would come for his soul and take him to the afterlife, where their ancestors would be waiting for them...but that clearly wouldn't be happening.

Takkar briefly stood still in front of the makeshift grave, silently paying his respect to his fellow Wenja, before standing and turning around. Dalso had told him not to stop looking for Oros, nor the Wenja that lived there, and Takkar was going to finish what they started.

Even if the rest of his party would be unable to see the end of their journey.

"_Langta…_my _gwisha _broke…" Takkar muttered, checking his gear. In the fall, he had lost his spear and his bow had been broken beyond repair. He would need to make a new one.

Takkar looked around. He and Dalso had landed in a small creek of some sort, with a few trees and shallow puddles dotting the landscape. Not bad.

Takkar's stomach growled and he bit his lip. Right. He still needed food. Yet another reason to make the bow. In the distance, he could hear the bleating of a grazer. A _shawi_, perhaps? It certainly seemed rugged enough here for mouflons.

It didn't take long to gather some reeds, alder wood, and slate to make a new bow, as well as some arrows. Neither were of the greatest quality, but if Takkar were to make a better one, he would need more time and resources - something he didn't have, if the sabretooth was indeed still on his tail.

After crafting the bow, Takkar lowered himself to the ground, creeping through the bushes in search of whatever made the noise. It didn't take long for him to find the source; a small herd of brown and black animals, grazing right in front of him. They weren't as slender as a mouflon, nor did they possess the curled horns, so Takkar concluded these were _harbi_ \- cave goats. He didn't mind the mistaken species, though, as cave goats were easier to catch anyway.

Knocking an arrow in his bow, he carefully pulled the string back and looked at one goat in particular. Judging from the length and thickness of the horns, it was most certainly a buck. For a second - only a second - Takkar held his breath…and then released the string.

The arrow whistled into the air and plunged deep into the side of the _harbi_'s head. The unfortunate animal couldn't even make a sound, dying before it even hit the ground. The rest of the herd was alarmed and immediately fled, but Takkar ignored them. One goat would be more than enough.

It took about an hour or so to fully skin the goat and strip it of meat, as well as some time dedicated to making a small campfire, providing light, warmth and a place to cook his catch. With some luck, it would also be enough to ward off the tiger…

...but Takkar highly doubted it.

Then, Takkar noticed something glinting in the corner of his eye. A small piece of slate, but not a normal one. He quickly grabbed the shard and held it above the fire to take a better look at it. He squinted his eyes. This…this was an arrowhead. The craftsmanship of a Wenja! This meant Oros was truly close by, a thought that both excited and saddened the hunter. He, Dalso, and the rest of the hunting party...they had been so close. Were it not for the tiger, they might have reached it by now.

All thoughts of rest were gone. With Oros this close, he couldn't sleep! He needed to press on, to see if he could find tracks and follow them back to Oros! But it was dark…he would need light to track.

Takkar began searching, soon finding a suitable tree branch and tying it together with strips made from the goat's hide, turning it into a makeshift club that would serve him well…for now, at least. After setting the end of the club on fire and using it to burn some thorn bushes blocking his path, Takkar began his search.

It wasn't long before the Wenja entered a ravine, and his nerves immediately went on edge. On the cliff above him, he could make out the silhouette of a sabretooth, the massive bulk and long fangs leaving no room for the imagination. Unlike the pride-dwelling cave lion, or the jaguar who occasionally hunted in pairs, sabretooth tigers didn't tolerate other tigers in their territory; these giant cats hunted alone. Combined with their rarity and the odd stains around the mouth and teeth, Takkar was absolutely certain it was the one with the blood-soaked fangs that had killed Dalso.

Takkar patiently waited for the cat to move on. Once it did, thankfully without seeing him, he quickly continued his way through the ravine.

However, a surprise laid in his path; a _wal_ lay a few meters ahead of him, a spear sticking out of its dark fur. It was dead. Takkar knelt beside the dead canine.

"That spear belonged to a Wenja…" he mused to himself, noting the craftsmanship of the spear that had been used to kill the wolf. So the Wenja of Oros were not only close, but capable.

However, the dead wolf was a warning. He didn't doubt the rest of the _walkwa _was still around - and indeed, distant howls confirmed it.

Takkar gritted his teeth. Wolves were vicious and clever, but they could also be intimidated…by numbers. He was alone.

Takkar was even more grateful for the flames that adorned his club. Fire was something they feared, as with most beasts.

He heard them before he even saw them. A low growl was heard behind Takkar and he swiftly turned around, just in time to see the glowing white eyes of a wolf.

Before he could do anything, the large _wal_ lunged at him, grabbing his arm and tossing Takkar to the ground, causing Takkar to shout in surprise and release the club in the process.

Standing over him, the wolf snarled and saliva dripped on Takkar's face as it tried to tear off his face. But Takkar wouldn't go down without a fight. He used both hands to close the wolf's jaws, preventing it from biting him, before delivering a kick in the canine's gut, causing the wolf to be knocked back.

The wolf let out a whimper as it was kicked away, but it wasn't alone. Two other pairs of eyes kept watch, growling as they neared Takkar.

Wasting no time, Takkar quickly reached for the club and waved it around, pieces of ember flying around.

"Stay back, _walkwa_! _Apa_! _Apa_!" he shouted, making himself as big as possible, letting the wolves know he wasn't easy prey.

It got the message across

The three wolves growled, but at the sight of the makeshift torch, they quickly backed down, turning around and fleeing into the tall grass that dotted the edges of the ravine. But Takkar wasn't naive enough to think they were truly gone. As he continued to cross the ravine, he frequently looked over his shoulder. And nearly every time, he could see the wolves trailing behind him, waiting for the moment he let his guard down…so they could strike! But Takkar had come too far to be eaten by wolves now.

Eventually, he reached a ledge and quickly used some vines to climb on it. Behind him, he could hear the frustrated growls of the pack. While excellent trackers and runners, wolves could barely climb. It was a lesson all Wenja were taught. When chased by wolves, dholes, or hyenas, climb up a tree. Of course, it wasn't as effective against the feline and ursine_ gwaryatar_ of the land. When he had been younger, Mingo had made the mistake of climbing up a tree when chased by a _chawha-lawhan_. Dalso and Takkar had fortunately been around to help, and now the cat's claws decorated Takkar's bracelets.

The ledge led into a cave through which Takkar had to crouch down. At the end of it, he found a small cliff with an underground river running below it…and a campfire.

"The ashes are still warm…They're close by," observed Takkar. He was getting closer and closer.

He looked at the river, seeing that the tracks ended here. It seemed like a dive would be necessary.

Sighing, Takkar jumped into the cool water, the flames of his club extinguished. He swam through the river and spotted a land bridge going over the water. Takkar considered trying to look for some vines or perhaps a ledge to try and climb out when he saw two things. In the distance, a few elevations higher than the river, he spotted light from a torch. Wenja! It had to be! But at the same time, he saw it again. The massive _dantan_ from before crossed the bridge, and Takkar lowered himself into the water, hoping that the tiger wouldn't smell him.

Fortunately, it didn't. The beast was too occupied carrying the corpse of a human between his huge jaws, and anger flared up in Takkar's chest when he recognized Maki.

_He won't take another Wenja, not tonight_! thought Takkar fiercely.

He needed to reach the Wenja before they would fall prey to the tiger. Making haste, he swam towards a ledge with powerful strokes and quickly pulled himself up.

Takkar was met with an…unpleasant sight, to say the least. A dead human, though not a Wenja (the dead man had a thicker build and was pale-skinned, while most Wenja tended to have dark skin), lay there, flies crawling over his face, and he wasn't alone. Multiple dead humans were scattered across the lair. Great. While no tiger would turn down the chance of an easy meal, they usually didn't, become specialized man-eaters. It seemed this particular tiger had a taste for human flesh, however. Which was bad news, to say the least. Then he saw her. A dark-skinned woman, dressed in clothing made from a red deer's hide, from the looks of it, and wearing bracelets on her arms with shells. The woman hadn't noticed him yet, to busy with inspecting the bodies of the dead humans. What was she doing her?

Nevertheless, Takkar felt incredibly relieved. At last! A fellow Wenja! But then he spotted something behind her…

"Tiger!" he shouted, quickly getting up and startling the woman. The woman instantly got up, holding a knife in one hand and a sack of…he wasn't really sure what in the other. A torch lay beside her, illuminating the cave with light.

Clearly not pleased to see him, holding up a knife.

"Stay back! Stay back!" she shouted, waving the weapon around.

"There's a tiger behind you! Look out!" shouted Takkar. But he was too late. The great beast announced his presence with a snarl and the woman turned around, only to be pounced upon by the tiger. Screaming in pain and fright, the Wenja woman squirmed under the tiger's weight, his sharp claws digging in her back.

Wasting no time, Takkar rushed forward and grabbed the torch, and without hesitation pressed it into the beast's hide. The tiger, startled, roared in pain and released the woman, backing away.

"Back, _gwar!_ Back!" shouted Takkar, while the woman gathered what she had dropped and put them back into her sack. It turned out to be…ears? Human ears? That was…unsettling, to say the least, but right now, he was occupied with more important matters. The massive _dantan _trying to eat them, for example.

"Run!" he told the woman, who quickly scampered off towards a crack in the wall. Wide enough for them, but the tiger was far too large to follow. Takkar slowly walked backwards, the tiger following his every move. At one point, the gigantic cat lunged forward with his massive paws but cried out in pain when Takkar's torch scorched them, backing away again. Still, it didn't retreat. Most tigers were afraid of fire and would flee from it, but this one seemed to be brave enough to withstand it. Again, not a good sign.

When Takkar reached the crack, he waved the torch around then throw it towards the tiger, briefly stunning it. But it quickly recovered and lunged towards Takkar, who quickly entered the crack. The cat's giant paws came through the crack, trying to get him, roaring furiously, and the Wenja gained a good look of the tiger's blood-soaked fangs and muzzle. Takkar panted and looked at his side. The woman was there, eyes wide, and signaled him to come.

"Come on…this way," she said, her eyes switching back and forward between Takkar and the sabretooth before she continued. It seemed she was no longer suspicious of him…for now, at least.

Following the woman in silence, Takkar managed to squeeze his way through the narrow cavern…and was eventually met with a stunning sight. "Spirits…" He gasped, his eyes wide.

The two Wenja, once they left the cave system where the tiger roamed behind them, looked over a massive valley...And it was breathtaking. To the west, there seemed to be lush redwood forests, while in the south he could see what looked to be plains and marshes. The east seemed to be made out of hills, and in the north, he could vaguely make out gigantic glaciers and snowy mountains. A wide river ran through the valley, which looked fertile and full of life. At that moment, Takkar knew his journey was over. He had found the land of Oros.

"Oros…" gasped Takkar softly, taking everything in. He almost forgot the woman was there as well, until she spoke up.

"You are a Wenja…But you are not from here." It was a statement, not a question, and she regarded him with newfound curiosity.

Takkar nodded. "Correct…I have traveled for many suns to try and reach Oros in search of other Wenja." He said, deciding not to tell her about Dalso yet. That would be a long story, and he didn't want to skip the details.

"My name is Sayla." Introduced the woman herself.

"Sayla…You risked death by going into that tiger's cave. Why would you do that?" asked Takkar, genuinely confused at why anyone would do such a thing. Sure, hunters would occasionally enter a predator's den. But that was usually to try and steal food from them, or to kill them when they were resting. But it was a dangerous job, a last resort. Especially to enter the cave of a tiger such as this…

"_Hasardantan_ hunts the Udam that are stationed near Ring Wall Outpost. He takes them to his cave…and I need their ears." Takkar gave her a bewildered look, and Sayla muttered something under her breath, to soft for him to hear. But he did now know the name of the tiger. _Hasardantan_. Bloodfang. A most appropriate name for the great beast, as well as concerning. From experience, Takkar knew the Wenja didn't give just any tough beast a name. If the people of Oros had bestowed a title such as this onto the tiger, then Bloodfang must have been one of the deadliest creatures in the valley.

"Are you alone?" he asked Sayla. He sent a silent prayer to the spirits, hoping this wouldn't be the only Wenja in all of Oros. If so, the journey would have been for nothing. Sayla, however, didn't answer. Instead, she seemed to be lost in thought. Then, she spoke up, but not to answer Takkar's question.

"I have a shelter," she said, looking at him, wincing as she stood up. Bloodfang's claws had made deep wounds, it seemed. "And food and water as well. Come with me."

Without waiting for an answer from the bewildered Takkar, she strode past him, turning around when she realized the other Wenja wasn't following her.

"Come on then!" she said, a tad bit impatient as she gestured for Takkar to follow. Takkar took one last glance at the valley that lay in front of him. Soon, he would be able to explore it to his heart's content…But first, he needed to know what had happened to the rest of their tribe. He turned back to face Sayla and nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

**Holy crap an update! I do apologise for how long it took, but exams and internships will do that. Takkar has officially met his first Wenja from Oros, as well as the terrefying Bloodfang. As you probably noticed, I've used a lot more Wenja in this chapter then in the previous one and as always, the words used will be translated here in alphabetical order. In case you're wondering how I get the translations, I get them from a blog called **_**Speaking Primal**_** from Andrew Miles Byrd, who analyzed the languages in the game.**

_**Apa**_** = Back**

_**Brashtar**_** = Brother**

_**Chawha-lawhan**_** = Cave lion**

_**Dantan**_** = Sabretooth**

_**Fuwapsan**_** = Fucking**

_**Gwar**_** = Beast**

_**Gwaryatar **_**= Predator**

_**Gwisha**_** = Bow**

_**Harbi**_** = Cave goat**

_**Hasardantan**_** = Bloodfang (literally blood sabretooth)**

_**Kawhi**_** = Shaman**

_**Langta**_** = Damn**

_**Shawi**_** = Mouflon**

_**Tigri **_**= Tiger**

_**Wal **_**= Wolf**

_**Walkwa**_** = Wolf pack**


End file.
